Combined windlace and panel trim retainer



y 1944- D. c. BAILEY COMBINED WINDLACE AND PANEL TRIM RETAINER Original Filed Nov. 9, 1939 Invert Tor.

Patented May 9,1944

' COMBINED WINDLACE AND PANEL TRIM RETAINER David C. Bailey, Amesbm-y, Mass.

Original applications November 9, 1939, Serial No.

303,650, and November 9, 1939, Serial No.

303,651. Dividedand this application September 30, 1940, Serial No. 359,029

Claims.

This invention relates to windlace retainers which are generally employed in automobile bodies to insure a tight closure, usually'between a door and its casing, and is a division of my applications filed November 9, 1939, Serial Nos. 303,650, now Patent No. 2,243,743, granted May 27, 1941, and 303,651, now Patent No. 2,231,316, granted February, 11, 1941, in which the constructions which constitute the subject matter. of this application are disclosed.

The objects of my invention are to provide an improved means for supporting a windlace in connection with a door-jamb of an automobile body or casing about an opening where air is likely to enter a compartment, and it is desired to exclude it, and to provide, in connection with said supporting means, means for securing a 1 panel trim to the interior of the structure, so that the windlace may be installed conveniently in connection with the work of installing the interior finish.

I accomplish these objects by providing an improved form of panel trim retainer which is adapted to be forced into a groove in the structure andto clamp against an adjacent surface, and, at the same time, will support a windlace in position to be effective in sealing the opening.

For a complete disclosure of my invention reference is now made to the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawing in whichangle between the sections it and I2. The sections as thus assembled are spot welded together as indicated at II.

- In the present instance the section i4 is shown in a slightly oblique position with relation to section It, but this may be varied in either direction according to conditions.

A solid round strip Ii oi soft rubber issplit longitudinally to approximately its center and the core section I4- is inserted therein as shown in Fig. 4. The entire core, strip is then enclosed in a suitable fabric l1.

The casing I8 is provided with a groove or slot I! at the edge of one of its panels and a panel trim 20 is clamped thereto by inserting the core portion It, I! in the slot, so that the portion ll extends onto the edge portion of the panel, thus securing it in position, as shown in Fig. 4. In this position the windlace It will be-held in position for engagement by a door, or other closure, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 4. As thus arranged, an effective support is provided for the windlace by the core portion ll which is somewhat yieldably supported, providing an effective cushion for the door, as both the core portion and the strip ii are slightly yieldable.

In Figs. 5 and 6 a somewhat modified form of panel trim retainer is shown, in which the core consists of a single strip of thin transversely corv rugated sheet ,metal 22, which is bent longitudinally at right angles and a round strip 22 of soft rubber is mounted on the vertex of the core and held in this position by a fabric covering 24,

V which completely encloses the core and rubber strip, and holds the latter in position on the core. The manner in which the retainer is used is similar to that already disclosed. The casing 25 As disclosed in said prior applications the consti'uctions therein shown are primarily designed for use as panel trim retainers, the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 having a core which consists of 'two strips of thin transversely corrugated sheet metal, one of the strips being bent in U-iorm providing two side sections Ill and II and a middle section l2, and the other strip being bent along an intermediate longitudinal line, providing two sections I! and It. The section i3 is placed on the outer'side of section ID, with their corrugations in coincidence and the vertex oi the angle between the sections l3, H in approximate coincidence with the vertex of the has a groove 26, which in this instance is perpendicular to the edge of the panel and in clamping the panel trim 21 to the panel, one side section of the retainer is forced into groove 26, so that the other side section is clamped against the panel. In this position the windlace is held in position for yielding engagement with a door, as indicated in dotted outline in Fig. 5. I

While this form of my invention may not be as durable or as eiilcient' as. the form first described, it nevertheless is efiective and provides a convenient means for applying a windlace to a casing.

Either form above described may be readily bent to conform to any curvature of the casing and by forming the corrugations slightly deeper than the width of the slot, a very strong frictional engagement-will besecured between the part of the retainer which is driven into the slot and the casing.

I claim:

i. A windlace for a vehicle opening comprising a resilient soft solid-rubber strip having a longitudinal slit extended inwardly from its surface, a retainer therefor comprising two strips of thin corrugated sheet metal, one of said metal strips being bent transversely of its corrugations to provide a plurality of longitudinal sections having transverse corrugations adapted to grip a vehicle part and retain the windlace in position, said other metal strip having a longitudinal section arranged in coincidence with one of the sections of the first named metal strip and secured thereto by spot welding and having a longitudinal portion extended into the slit of said rubber strip, and a fabric coverin enclosing and connecting said metal and rubber strips.

2. A windlace comprising a soft solid-rubber strip having a longitudinal slit extended inward from its surface, a retainer .therefor consisting of a strip of transversely corrugated sheet metal bent along a longitudinal line providing two longitudinal side portions, a second transversely corrugated sheet metal strip having a longitudinal portion coincidentally engaged and connected to one of the side portions the first named metal strip and having another longitudinal portion projecting beyond said first corrugated metal strip at an angle between two of its side portions and extended into the slit 01' said soft rubber strip, and a covering enclosing said soft rubber strip and said metal strips and securing said rubber strip in position on said second corrugated strip.

3. A windlace for a structural opening, comprising a strip 01' resiliently compressible material, a retainer therefor comprising a sheet metal strip having corrugations extending transversely of the longitudinal extent of said metal strip and bent on a line extending longitudinally of the metal strip to provide two angularly related longitudinally extending corrugated metal strip portions, and means securing said compressible strip to the metal strip along said longitudinal line of bending thereof and at the vertex of the angle portions of the sheet metal formed by said angular-1y relatedmetal strip portions, said means including an envelope 0! flexible sheet material secured to said metal strip,

longitudinal extent of said metal strip and bent on a line extending longitudinally of the metal strip to provide two angularly related longitudinally extending corrugated metal strip portions, and an envelop oi. flexible sheet material wrapped around said compressible strip and completely enclosing said strip and also secured to, extending over-and completely covering the outer faces 01 said angularly related metal strip portions, said wrapped compressible strip extending along said longitudinal line oi bend oi the metal strip at the vertex oi the angle formed by said angularls related metal strip portions, and said flexible sheet material providing a hinge between the compressible strip and the metal strip at and along the said vertex. 5. A windlace for a structural opening, comprising a sheet metal strip having a longitudinally extending portion which is corrugated transversely or its longitudinal extent for resiliently engaging between the opposite walls of a retaining channel, said strip having another longitudinally extending portion including a part for engaging over the margin of a panel, said two strip providing at their juncture a vertex extending longitudinally of the strip, a strip or resiliently compressible materialextending along said vertex of the sheet metal strip, and means securing the compressible strip to the metal strip including a sheet or flexihis material enclosing the compressible strip and extending in covering relation to the iull area of at least one of the said longitudinally extending (I portions of the sheet metal strip.

DAVID C. BAILEY. 

